Diabetic Mother Births 19-pound Baby!

By Akela Talamasca on September 24th, 2009

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Indonesia saw the birth of a 19-pound baby boy yesterday, an uncommon but not rare occurrence for the medical community. The as-yet unnamed baby, measuring 24.4 inches long, is the region’s current recordholder for weight. This baby is not the world’s heaviest, however; that honor belongs to two separate babies weighing in at 22.5 lbs. A heavier baby, weighing 29 pounds, was born in 1939, but died of breathing complications two hours later. The Indonesian baby was birthed mechanically, by caesarean section.

Doctors say that the infant’s enormous size is due to the mother’s diabetic state. The increased levels of glucose present in the mother’s bloodstream affect the growth rate of her gestating child, leading to a larger child than might normally be born. The baby is doing well, despite an earlier breathing complication.

What issues await a large child like this? Odds are it will require more food than a smaller child; it might not fit standard baby seats; it won’t be able to wear most hand-me-downs from its siblings; and a host of weight-associated medical issues might be in his future as well. On the plus size (so to speak), heavier babies tend to be stronger, and according to the doctor, this boy’s voice is powerful. Opera singer in the making? Time will tell!